First I should mention that the top of my head, shown cut off on page 3, has grown back. Also, the strange droppings in the article such as “readable text. Symbol 74 /f “Wingdings” /s” etc. were from the editor, not from the text I sent and do not represent anything missing from the piece.
There were 3 major areas of change from the January version I reported from, to the final draft of March: Terrain, Movement, and Combat Outcomes.
BUILT UP AREAS
In January, the Build Up Area was limited to 6 base widths, length plus width (that is, 12 base widths in circumference) and was to be placed within 300 paces of one board edge and outside of 600p from all other edges. The final version became:
“A BUA (Built-Up Area) represents a large palisaded or walled village, a hill fort or a walled town or castle. It is neither good nor bad going, but gives a combat advantage to a 1-element garrison or, if there is none, to its denizens. It is compulsory in ARABLE because intensive agriculture needs markets and creates exploiters. All of a BUA must be within 900 paces of 1 battlefield edge and all of it at least 900 paces from any other battlefield edge.”
This configuration puts the BUA closer to the center of an edge and allows it to extend more away from a board edge, into the center of the board
TERRAIN
The earlier version had all terrain pieces at a maximum of 3 base widths square and a maximum number of 7 pieces - 3 required and 4 optional. The final version expanded the size to 4.5 base widths square but cut the number to 1-2 required and 2-3 optional. Thus fewer but larger terrain pieces, including the BUA. The larger BUA, combined with its deployment area is influencing games more so than the smaller would have.
MOVEMENT RULES
A major change to the movement rules was allowing certain mounted types to dismount once the game has started. This is not the option, as in Version 1.1, to allow certain types to be deployed either as foot or mounted. Rather this new rule requires all troops to be deployed mounted and then for one PIP in the first bound and two in subsequent bounds to dismount. Such troops move as the dismounted type and cannot enter combat the bound they are dismounted. Most of the armies with the dismount option are later western knights but also some classic and earlier era Chariots can dismount, the Trojans for example have 4 Chariot elements that can dismount as Blades. In the medieval era, the Knight to Blade transformations have strong possibilities. The Kn can take on other mounted and destroy Blades, or dismount as the Bd to fight foot, as such destroying Bows before the Bows can destroy the mounted option. This makes a 6 3Kn//4Bd Medieval French army quite powerful. I am curious to see how many of these armies show up in tournaments.
COMBAT OUTCOMES
An important change in the combat outcomes was allowing Light Horse to destroy if beating (DIB) Spears or Pikes. The odds of this is low for since the LH has a combat factor of 2 and the Spear is 4 (5 with a Ps element behind) and a Pike is 3. No second rank support for Pike vs. LH, Cavalry, Bows, Scythed Chariots and Psiloi. Spear get a second rank support from other Spear but only against Knights and Spears. Nevertheless, the rule has led to much discussion on the internet as to it historical validity.
Some smaller changes are: permitting Artillery to return shooting in enemy bound, allowing players to measure at any time (“Any distance can be measured whenever a player wishes.”), allowing roads to be placed through BUA’s and troops to move through the BUA with no extra movement required, allowing Artillery in a BUA, and cutting the distance for deployment from a side edge to 300p (from 400p). Phil also removed his email address from the final published version but did include his phone number.
The rules were available at Cold Wars, about 60 copies were sold out in two days at $14 and then (as the demand was noted by vendor) $16. Wargames was taking orders for mailing later at $12. I made a presentation on the major changes and that had a good turnout. Phil and Sue were there to answer questions. I ran two standard tournaments plus a Big Battle Doubles event, and David Schlander ran another standard so there was lots of opportunity for people to play.
At Historicon, there will be quite a few DBA events using 2.0. There will be the standard NASAMW events: Midnight Madness, 25mm Open, NICT, Teen Tournament, and the Sunday Open. I will also run another Big Battle Doubles, this year honoring the father of ancients gaming, Tony Bath, and my usual Dick Bryant Duplicate Tournament. I am also trying an inter-event event, the DBA League. Players will be assigned to divisions and schedule games against others in the division on their own. Lots of DBA at the Con.
There have been some clarifications by Phil for a few unclear aspects of the rules. These will be posted to my web site after June 15, 2001 and will be applied to Historicon Events.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~beattie/dba.html
In issue number 81, I reported on the, then, forthcoming De Bellis Antiquitatis revision, know to players as DBA2.0. At that time I said if the final published version was different from what I wrote, I would give an update in the next issue. There were some differences so here is that update.
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